How do I know if a video of a politician is real or fake? A verification guide and evidence-based framework for Cameroon

This paper offers a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for determining the authenticity of videos of politicians, with particular emphasis on the Cameroonian context and comparable African information environments. Combining media-forensic practice, social verification methods, and critical theory, the paper synthesizes technical indicators (visual, audio, metadata), network and provenance analysis, and socio-political contextual checks into ten practical findings. Each finding is discussed in depth, with stepwise verification actions, expected limitations, and recommended escalation routes. The framework integrates insights from deepfake research, information disorder scholarship, and postcolonial critiques of platform governance to situate technical detection within broader power dynamics and digital sovereignty concerns. The paper concludes with policy and capacity-building recommendations for journalists, civil society, platform moderators, and citizens in Cameroon. Keywords: fact-checking; Cameroon; deepfake; video verification; media forensics; disinformation; information disorder; digital sovereignty; platform governance; liar’sdividend